


Understanding

by grassangel



Category: Bleach
Genre: Angst, Declarations Of Love, F/M, Romance, Unrequited Love, or rather Non-declarations of Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-07-02
Updated: 2009-07-02
Packaged: 2019-11-20 16:40:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18129071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grassangel/pseuds/grassangel
Summary: He never said 'I love you' to either of them, but Orihime never quite understood.





	Understanding

Ichigo had never said 'I love you' to her, no matter how many times Orihime said it to him.

He explained to her, once, that he had never said it to anyone since his mother had died. Orihime still said it to him though, a sympathetic look on her face, and Ichigo thought that perhaps she was hoping that someday he would.

Orihime didn't understand.

He had never said it to Rukia either, but she had understood.

Whenever she could, whenever she really felt it, she would say those three words to Ichigo.

He never said them back and that never worried her, as she knew the reason why. Orihime knew what grief felt like and would smile and wrap her arms around him, receiving a sheepish smile back as silent thanks for her support.

And Orihime would smile back at him, a flimsy shield for her resentment that she only knew what it felt like, but didn't understand.

She was still jealous of Rukia.

She had never expected, never  _hoped_ , to hear that phrase from him. He hadn't expected it from her either.

It was stalemate, the closest they ever got to uttering it was a promise that one would always protect the other.

The words had never passed their lips, though it had been clear to both what was lurking at the edges of their minds, words hanging, unsaid, as they battled together.

Rukia hadn't needed to hear that Ichigo loved her, she had known it well enough.


End file.
